What about the rights of Christian haters?

I love it when a wave of believers finds my blog. It gives me something to do.

A while back I wrote a post ranting on the legislature in Kansas for passing a bill that would allow discrimination against LGBT people. Someone left this comment.

I hope whoever wrote this article realizes that by blatantly trashing Christianity, he’s being very hypocritical. People always preach on the “rights of homosexuality” but what about the rights of everyone else? I am not saying that people who support the rights of homosexuals are awful people, but when you mock others beliefs simply because they don’t agree with you, your point does not get across. You have the right to believe that homosexuals have the right to get married and etc., and I have the right to believe it is against what I believe. Being called a homophobe is just as disrespectful and rude as for someone else to call a gay person a fag. Maybe you should just step back and realize that gays aren’t the only ones with the rights to their beliefs.

Oy, where to start?

I hope whoever wrote this article realizes that by blatantly trashing Christianity, he’s being very hypocritical.

Nope. Trash atheism. Go nuts. The difference is that atheists can defend their position. We don’t need to stop the conversation, demand people not critique our position, or say we don’t need evidence. Criticize me until you’re blue in the face – I’ll use it to make you look dumb.

People always preach on the “rights of homosexuality” but what about the rights of everyone else?

Yes, who will protect the rights of Christians which are under attack by…who, exactly?

I am not saying that people who support the rights of homosexuals are awful people…

I’m saying people who oppose their rights are awful people. To force others to live lesser lives because of your nonsensical beliefs is egotistical at best, wholly lacking in compassion at worst (ironically, these people often tout how loving their religion is). If people oppose equal rights whether it’s for women, blacks, or gays because of their religion, then their religion is also awful.

…but when you mock others beliefs simply because they don’t agree with you…

I don’t mind people disagreeing with me. It’s when their arguments suck and they show an unwillingness to at least try to reason that the mockery comes out. And they should be mocked. They don’t deserve respect at that point. Those people have earned whatever disrespect comes their way. If they exhibit a real lack of empathy (which people opposing equality for others most certainly do), then they get criticized fiercely. They should get criticized fiercely.

You have the right to believe that homosexuals have the right to get married and etc., and I have the right to believe it is against what I believe.

Nobody’s saying otherwise. Nobody would want to put you in jail for believing a certain way or demand you espouse a belief you don’t. Nor would we ever.

However, the right to believe as you choose does not earn you the right to be free of criticism if you use that right to believe (and espouse) anti-human irrational nonsense.

Being called a homophobe is just as disrespectful and rude as for someone else to call a gay person a fag.

One of those things deserves disrespect (hint: it’s not being gay).

Deriding people whose only crime is loving someone despite the disapproval of others is unmerited. It’s mockery for the sake of mockery. It’s creating unhappiness and inequality for no good reason and anybody doing it deserves to get shouted down. There are plenty of reasons one should stop being a homophobe. There’s not a single good reason someone should stop being gay, even if they could.

Maybe you should just step back and realize that gays aren’t the only ones with the rights to their beliefs.

Maybe you should read the arguments of others before you respond to them so you don’t wind up rebutting a position nobody occupies. Actually, there’s no maybe to it. Stop responding to what would’ve been convenient to let you play martyr as part of the majority and start listening to your opposition. You have a right to your belief, but don’t trick yourself into believing that freedom to believe as you choose means freedom to live without criticism if you believe flagrantly idiotic things that affect your fellow humans.